PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — The top cop in the Prince William County Department’s Criminal Investigations Division will be promoted to serve underneath Cheif of Police Col. Barry Barnard.
Maj. Steven J. Thompson is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He’s been with the department since 1996 after working in New York City.
From police:
Lieutenant Colonel Thompson has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, having been hired by the New York City Police Department in 1990. In 1996, he began his career with the Prince William County Police Department as a patrol officer assigned to the Operations Division. Lieutenant Colonel Thompson has also served as an instructor at the Criminal Justice Academy, a Patrol squad supervisor, a supervisor in the Criminal Investigations Division, a Watch Commander in the Eastern District and as a Commander of the Western District and Special Operations Bureau. In 2013, Thompson was promoted to the rank of Major and assigned as the Assistant Chief for the Criminal Investigations Division.
Lieutenant Colonel Thompson holds a master’s degree in Management with a Leadership Focus from National-Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Banking from Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.
Thompson is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service (LEAD), the Police Executive Development Basic (POLEX) at the Pennsylvania State University/Northeast Counterdrug Training Center, the Institute for Leadership in Changing Times at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business, the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police and the Virginia Police Chiefs Foundation’s Professional Executive Leadership School.
Effective October 29, Lieutenant Colonel Thompson will assume his new role as Prince William County Police Department’s Deputy Chief of Police.
Thomspon served as a public face during the investigation of murders of Erica Hickson and Lizeth Lopez and spoke to concurred residents about the murders at a public meeting. Both women worked at a counseling facility located at a Lakeapartmentrtmnent complex that worked with at-risk youth.
Thomspon will continue to serve in his role at the Criminal Investigations Division until Chief Barnard hires a replacement.
From Sgt. Jonathan Perok:
Chief Barnard served as the Deputy Chief until his appointment to Chief in June. Barnard was the Department’s first and only Deputy Chief until Thompson’s appointment. The Deputy Chief position has remained vacant during the Department’s transition to our new Chief since Barnard had previously filled that role.
Barnard was appointed Chief earlier this year by the County Board of Supervisors following the retirement of Chief Stephan Hudson.
